1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a detecting apparatus for physical phenomenon and/or chemical phenomenon, and more particularly to a detecting apparatus of physical phenomenon and/or chemical phenomenon capable of detecting plural physical phenomena and/or chemical phenomena almost simultaneously on the same substrate. The physical phenomena and chemical phenomena can include temperature, light in a wider sense of meaning (visible light, ultraviolet ray, infrared ray, X-ray, electromagnetic wave, etc.), ion concentration, magnetism, pressure, acceleration, speed, sound wave, ultrasonic wave, oxidation-reduction potential, rate of reaction, and other various phenomena.
2. Description of Related Art
These physical phenomena or chemical phenomena were hitherto observed individually by using individual detector elements, such as a temperature sensor, photo sensor, physical characteristics sensor, and chemical sensor, which converted the detected measurements into various electric signals (current, voltage, resistance, capacity, potential).
For example, in the case of a pyroelectric sensor known as a typical thermal sensor, when the temperature changes, an electric charge is generated in the pyroelectric element, and its potential change is amplified by an FET (field effect transistor), and subsequently read. In the case of a photo diode known as a representative photo sensor, the electric charge generated by light is taken out as an electric current. In the case of a pressure sensor utilizing the piezo-resistance effect known as a representative physical sensor, the resistance change by pressure is read. In measurement of pH by using an ISFET (ion sensitive field effect transistor) known as a representative chemical sensor, as hydrogen ions are absorbed on a response membrane, the channel conductance changes, and by measuring the current flowing in the FET, the pH value of a solution is measured.
Further, imaging has been attempted by arranging these various sensors parallel in two-dimensional directions, and acquiring the output distribution simultaneously. A representative example thereof is a solid state imaging device. In this device, a plurality of photo diodes are arranged two-dimensionally, the electric charge generated in the photo diodes depending on the intensity distribution of incident light is accumulated in the internal capacity for a specific time, and the signals are gated to the outside in a time series at specific time intervals by using a charge transfer device or MOS transistor array.
However, generally in any one of these sensors and devices, signals or distributions of plural physical phenomena and/or chemical phenomena at the same time and in the same place could not be observed.